What Could Have Happened
by THEKumiSataki
Summary: Instead of making truce at Jupiter Lighthouse, Isaac and Felix fight, a battle that results in Felix's death. Although she knows he killed her brother, Jenna finds herself letting Isaac dry her tears...
1. You Win

**A/N Whee, another story floating out of my mixed-up head. Well, it's a Valeshipping (by far my favorite) and again, it's complete, since it was going to be a one-shot but ended up getting too long.**

**Disclaimer: All characters belong to Nintendo and Camelot, but the plot is mine! **

It was night. The last glimmers of red on the sea far away had faded, and the temperature dropped, as it always did when the sun went down, to frigid lows in the mountains of Atteka. The moon overhead was shining dimly, its waxing crescent form still a thin sliver, but at the top of Jupiter Lighthouse that light was not needed, for the aerie was bright enough.

It had been lit! The people of Contigo stared in wonder at the glowing purple star that was too close to the earth, nestled in the mountains and making the air vibrate with power. Winds swirled around the town, taking hats, scarves, and leaves with it. The earth was still feeling slight tremors that were strong enough topple vases, knock over books on a shelf, spill the soup in a cooking pot.

The people who had lit it were standing there still, having accustomed to the blinding glow of the Jupiter Star and the Psynergy that now surrounded it. It had been difficult for them, reaching this point, and they had finally achieved it, after many battles, many complicated puzzles, many different problems that kept popping up and distracting them from their mission. They should have been happy, having only Mars Lighthouse left.

But they weren't completely happy.

They stood beside the giant hole into the depths of which the Jupiter Star, then only a tiny sphere of violet crystal, had descended, then risen again as a whirling mass of light, wind, and Psynergy. Felix was trying to shield both Jenna and Sheba at the same time, aided by Piers. They stared at the group of people their age that stood on the steps below them, blocking their way out.

"All right, Felix!" Isaac yelled. His eyes were flashing, though he appeared worn – as he should be, from the recent battle with Karst and Agatio that had almost taken his life and that of Ivan. "We want to know what's going on!" Behind him, Garet stood, looking equally angry, even as Mia touched his arm and whispered to calm down. Ivan, too, looked exhausted, but less so than the rest; the Psynergy being released from the Jupiter Star was probably strengthening his power.

Felix said nothing, so Kraden spoke up. "It's all quite complicated, Isaac. There are a number of… extenuating circumstances."

"Like what?" Isaac directed his words at Kraden, but he watched Felix intently. "What could justify trying to unleash a deadly force that was sealed away for a reason? What could justify stealing the Elemental Stars that kept Mt. Aleph safe, triggering a volcano that endangers your entire hometown?" His eyes flicked to Jenna, softened for a moment, then hardened again. "What could justify kidnapping your own sister?"

"Isaac," Jenna whispered.

Ivan stepped forward. "Look, I don't think any of us are in any shape for another fight right now." Mia sighed, relieved, but Isaac did not seem to agree.

"No, Ivan. We have to settle this." His voice was cold. "Now."

"No!" Jenna cried. There was anguish in her tone and on her face. "Don't – Isaac – Felix, please…"

Felix gazed at Isaac for a moment, then nodded, and drew his sword. "I ask you one thing, Isaac," he said quietly.

"What?" Isaac's blade was already out, glittering in the light of the Star.

Felix looked around at them all, his eyes resting on each one in turn – Jenna, tears in her eyes; Sheba, worry touching her forehead; Mia and Garet, one angry, the other unhappy; Ivan, looking afraid; and Piers, who sadly seemed to understand that this had to happen. "I ask that you and I fight alone. We need not involve the others." His eyes locked onto Isaac's. "This battle is between you and me."

"Very well, but now I ask one thing of you. This fight will decide the whole thing. This," Isaac said, and bit his lip before going on. "This will be a fight to the finish."

"No!" Jenna started forward, but Felix held out an arm to stop her.

"I accept."

Isaac ascended the steps, and as he did, Sheba and Piers went down to join Mia, Garet, Kraden, and Ivan. Jenna remained where she was, glancing from Isaac to Felix. Her brother touched her shoulder gently.

"Jenna… go with Sheba. It'll be all right…"

"Felix, you died once! I don't want that to happen ever again!" Her voice broke. "I don't want to be alone again… and Isaac…"

He hugged her gently. "I know… but if one of us goes, you'll always have the other. I know that Isaac will always protect you – as he did for the last three years, when I wasn't there. And it will work the other way around, as well." Felix released her, and straightened. "Stay with Sheba and the others for now, all right?"

No, not all right, Jenna wanted to say, but she didn't. She pressed her lips together, smothering a sob that had risen up in her throat, and walked toward the steps. At the top she turned. "If either if you dies," she threatened, "I'm going to be really mad!"

That was the Jenna that everyone knew. They all relaxed – just a bit – and turned their attention back to Felix and Isaac.

Felix was shifting into fighting stance, as was Isaac. Their swords reflected the light and made it brighter, it seemed, throwing a glare into the eyes of the watchers. Each opponent measured the other carefully. Felix was taller and heavier than the lithe Isaac, but Isaac would be faster – and he was more experienced at swordplay, though Felix was older.

"All right, when I count to three, we begin." A slight quiver in his voice betrayed the fact that he was not entirely as confident and resolved as he seemed. "One.

"Two.

"Three."

As he said the last word, he attacked, instantly launching into a series of arcs and swings with the sword. Felix blocked them all and parried the last one, driving forward a counter attack with a force that made Isaac flinch as he stopped it. The younger boy whirled around and feinted to the right. Felix fell for it, but twisted to avoid the attack at his left. They were evenly matched so far.

Piers blinked and squinted at the two. "I don't believe Felix is really trying," he murmured to Sheba, careful not to let Jenna hear.

Sheba turned, startled. "What do you mean?"

"I mean he's ignoring the openings that Isaac is letting through. He's obviously holding off well, but he seems to be only attacking when he knows Isaac can block it. They're both very good, but I know Felix, and I know he could be doing better."

Sheba's eyes widened, and she hoped Jenna hadn't heard.

Jenna _had_ heard. She stiffened. Why would Felix be holding back? Did he not _want _to win? It was bad enough that she would have to lose one of them – and now it looked like she knew which one that was. And it wouldn't even be a real fight, not if he wasn't trying! She blinked away more tears, and tried to swallow until the lump in her throat was gone. The ring of steel against more steel was hurting her head – she wanted to leave, to go back to her home in Vale, back to her warm bed where she didn't have to go on endless adventures trying to save the world –

The clashing sound stopped, and she raised her head. Had it ended? Who had won? Maybe she didn't want to look… But it hadn't quite ended, though it was very close to. No one was dead yet, no blood had been spilled. Of course, what was happening made her gasp in horror.

The heels of Isaac's leather boots were braced against the edge, but they were barely taking his weight. They didn't need to – he was leaning backwards off the aerie floor, and the only thing that saved him was that his sword was hooked around that of Felix, holding him up. If it slipped, or if Felix turned his blade just a little, Isaac would fall, fall into the darkness that shrouded the lighthouse's base. Isaac's teeth were clenched, and he was using all of his strength to hold on, to keep their hilts locked so that he would not fall. It depended on Felix now – Isaac was not strong enough to pull himself out of this position.

"What are you waiting for, Felix?" Isaac said softly. "It's your move." He met Jenna's eyes for a brief moment, and seemed to be saying something. But before she could catch that message, it was gone, for he had looked back at Felix. His arms visibly trembled with the strain – obviously he couldn't hold himself like this much longer.

Felix took a step back, bringing Isaac with him, bringing the younger boy to safety. "It would be a pity," he said just as softly, "if the only reason I could claim victory would be that you tripped and fell off the lighthouse."

They both grinned for a moment, and it was like old times, when the three of them – Garet, Felix, and Isaac – had spent their time sneaking into the inn and sampling the ale, playing tricks on Jenna, helping Hikat forging the swords to sell in the shop. Then the smile disappeared, and they were both serious again.

Once Isaac was clear, they shifted their grips on their sword and circled, pacing and mirroring each others' steps. Both were breathing heavily by now, doubly weary from battling Karst and Agatio.

They leapt forward in that same instant, swords meeting with another loud clang. It was several moments of that complicated dance called swordplay, several more moments of agony for Jenna.

And then Felix's sword was gone, and the tip of Isaac's blade was hovering an inch away from his nose.

Felix steadily looked at his (former?) best friend. "You win."

"You would allow man to destroy all of Weyard… all of _us_," Isaac said, his voice quivering uncertainly. "You have to be stopped."

The dark-haired one nodded. "I know that you believe it so. And maybe you're right." He smiled suddenly, his last smile. "We'll see, won't we?"

"'We?'" said Isaac. There was pain on his face, but he didn't hesitate, for he knew that he wouldn't be able to finish it if he did. The thoughts that had been suppressed until now would finally burst into his head; already they had begun to penetrate his consciousness. Thoughts that referred to when the Wise One had given him this task, had told him it was his destiny to stop the Alchemy from releasing itself again. Thoughts that reminded him of unimportant, carefree days from the past; how often had they stood in this position with sticks instead of swords, mock battles that ended in laughter and feigned groans of agony? It was so much like it had been so long ago – only now, they did have real, sharp blades, and when the blade touched bare skin it meant a cut, with real blood, instead of a mere, quickly healing bruise. All these thoughts were about to break loose, and stop him from completing his task. He raised his sword.

Mia and Sheba hugged Jenna tight. "Don't look, Jenna," Sheba said, her tears leaking out of scrunched-up eyes. "Don't look…"

The three girls turned away, and did not hear Felix scream.

**A/N Didn't spend as much time on this one as on the other one, since this one isn't going to be turned in for a grade... tell me if it needs work! Sobs Poor Felix... **


	2. I Feel the Same Way

While nine people had entered Jupiter Lighthouse as two separate parties of four and five, one party of six returned. Two of the ones that were still there were lost in confusion and sorrow; the other would never return.

"Leave her," Piers had told Mia when she'd tried to get Jenna to move. "She'll come down when she's ready… she needs to be alone, or with the only person she'll listen to." He had glanced at Isaac then, and Mia had understood. No one else had, but they had listened to him – with one of their leaders dead and the other gazing in mourning at his friend's body, Piers had stepped in.

Now Jenna and Isaac were alone at the top of the lighthouse. Isaac had turned away from Felix, had crossed over to the chasm in the floor of the aerie underneath the Jupiter Star. He stood there, looking down into it, apparently deep in thought – about what, Jenna wondered as she watched him from where she was kneeling by her brother's side. What did one think when he had just killed his best friend? Slowly, she rose and went to his side. He did not acknowledge that she was there.

Several moments passed in silence. "Isaac?" Jenna murmured finally. "Why?"

He said nothing, and for some time Jenna thought that he hadn't heard. But he had, as she discovered when he spoke. "I'm sorry. I… had to. It was…" He bowed his head, closing his eyes. She waited for him to continue. "You don't know… Jenna, as I traveled through Angara and Gondowan, I saw… so many people suffering because of the Mt. Aleph eruption, because of the Psynergy stones that fell from the sky. I saw the trees turned alive, alive and turning everyone else into trees. Those three children – one got washed away in the river, because her roots stopped her from moving. I could have saved her…" He raised his head, though his eyes were still shut. "I saw a girl losing her father's trust because she was able to see visions after the stones hit her. I saw her running away to save her friend because she knew he was in danger."

"But why – "

"Jenna, that was just the Mt. Aleph eruption. Imagine if Alchemy were actually unleashed again! Imagine what would happen if people could use this, could kill other people with it! And besides that, look at us. Our power has been hard to control in the past – what would happen if it had Alchemy added to it? Anyone born with Psynergy would destroy themselves!" He opened his eyes, and looked into hers. "I'm sorry."

For a moment she stood there, rigid, staring at him. "'Sorry?'" she repeated. "Is that all? _'Sorry?' _Just because you think you have to save the world like some hero in a story, you go and destroy what we've worked for?" Her voice had started out low, but rose with each word. "Just for that? For some girl you want to go and stop us from lighting the lighthouses? For some tree person that got washed away in a river? You – you killed him!" And she struck out at him violently. "You killed Felix!"

He caught her flailing wrists, lowered them to her sides. Gently Isaac led her to the steps. Jenna was crying now, shuddering sobs jerking her body; she stopped fighting and allowed him to take her. They sat down, and, perhaps unconsciously, Jenna leaned against his chest as she cried.

More time passed. Isaac didn't know how long it had been, but eventually she did stop crying, enough to speak.

"Isaac, when do you think we'll be able to go home?" she whispered. "Back to Vale? With you and Garet training your Psynergy, and Garet's sisters getting mad when you two crush their flowers, and with your mother's honey bread and cookies? Because I want this to end – I want to be safe again. All of us. From everyone – Saturos and Menardi, and Karst and Agatio." She stopped, and then added, "From each other."

"I don't know. I really don't – maybe it'll never be that way again." He hesitatingly put one arm around her, then when she didn't protest, added the other, holding her close. Rough, wild, tomboyish Jenna had never let anyone but Felix see her cry – it was astonishing that she was letting Isaac replace her brother.

"Don't say that," she said, her voice muffled because her face was hidden in his shoulder. "I don't want to think about it. But, Isaac…"

"Yeah?"

"When this is over – if it's ever over, if we live through it – will you come back to Vale with me?" Jenna turned her head so that she could look at him. Her tears had dried themselves on the sleeve of his shirt, and now, though her eyes were slightly red and she was forced to sniff every few moments, she was looking quite pretty – something he'd noticed before, but it had never struck him the way it did now. Once again, Isaac knew that if he allowed himself to hesitate, he would not follow through with what he needed to, because of the irritating, destructive mind processes known as Second Thoughts. But last time, facing Felix, his heart had objected, had told him not to go on, and he'd done what duty had required of him, not listening to what he felt inside. This time, his heart was telling him, he could redeem himself in the slightest way by doing what it was telling him to do.

And he wanted to.

Carefully, he reached forward and brushed the last tear from her face, but left his hand there, moving down her cheek, tracing her lips. "Yes," he told her softly, and leaned forward. "Yes."

It startled him how warm her lips were against his, though the lighthouse aerie was so cold, now a place of death. Without meaning to his arms circled tighter around her, and his kiss went deep, lasted long. She was breathing faster when he let her go, staring at him in shock. "Isaac," she said, her voice shaking.

Isaac suddenly felt greatly embarrassed. "Sorry," he muttered, his face turning a very bright red. He drew away, and brought his legs under him, into a crouching position, so that he could stand. "I dunno… I think the magic around here is getting to me… Come on, the others are probably waiting for us – "

"No, don't – " She caught at his hand. "I just want to know if – well, did you mean that?"

Why, _why _did she have to prolong this agonizing, mortifying moment? "I guess… but forget about it. I'm sorry."

"If you meant it, does that mean you like me?" she insisted.

What a blunt, Jenna-like question. "I dunno, I guess… look, can't you just leave it?" He shifted his weight – his legs were becoming cramped from being in this position for so long. "Forget it. I didn't mean to, and you probably like someone else anyway – Garet, right? Or even that Piers – "

"Garet? _Piers?" _She seemed to shudder at the thought. "Of course not!"

"So why are you so interested in _why _I – erm – did that? It was a mistake, all right?" He rose to his feet, about to shoulder his abandoned pack, and stopped. "Now what?"

"Only a mistake?" she repeated, apparently half to herself. She stood up as well, and went to her own pack. He could see tears shining in her eyes again. Why were girls so cursed _emotional?_

"Wait – Jenna. Why – why does it matter to you?" he called.

"Um… I don't know… " She quickly brushed her eyes against the back of her hand. Isaac could see her swallow. He slowly stepped towards her.

"I mean… do you like anyone?"

"Well… maybe…" Her voice trembled.

"What – who – does that mean?"

"There… there might be one person, I guess…"

"Would you tell me?" He made his tone gentle, though the pounding of his heart made him want to grab her and shake the answer out.

"You'll laugh. You won't take me seriously."

"I wouldn't do that!"

"Promise?"

"Cross my heart and hope to die."

"Um… all right… I guess I kind of always liked… you…" She didn't meet his eyes. "Now you'll laugh!"

"No, I won't," he protested, though he was grinning. He crossed the remaining three feet between them and touched her chin, tilting her face upwards. "Can I tell _you _something, now?" All of his embarrassment was gone, and he was no longer afraid to say what he wanted to for fear that she'd make him look like a fool.

"What?"

"I… sort of feel the same way."

"Really?" she breathed.

"Really," he informed her, and kissed her again.

**A/N Wow, that was fun. Gotta love those cliche elements! I'm not sure if this flows properly, but I was too lazy to go over it before posting it. Constructive criticism, please. **

**Cyberwolfmk: Um... well, yes, if you want to look at it that way, Felix would have won... but I _wasn't _looking at it that way... and he could have won, when Isaac was about to fall... he just couldn't let go of that compassion for his friend, throughout the fight and so on. And I think I have a different view of Felix than what the game showed; it's just the way I percieved his nature.**


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